Alert: Wyden Filibusters!
An actual, physical filibuster is a rare thing these days. And our Senator, Ron Wyden, is on the floor right now (watch C-SPAN 2 here) trying to force a vote on ending oil royalty relief for oil companies.
Update: Statement from Senator Wyden's office:
Senator Wyden has gone to the floor to demand that the US Senate vote on ending the practice of giving billions of dollars in royalty relief to big oil. Under last year’s energy bill, oil companies got a great deal – a reduced royalty payment for oil and gas taken from federal lands that costs as much as $35 billion. Wyden’s amendment would stop this ride as long as the price of oil is above $55 per barrel, except where royalty relief is needed to avoid supply disruptions because of hurricanes or other natural disasters.With oil selling for more than $70 a barrel -- $15 a barrel higher than at the price the President said incentives weren’t needed -- Congress should not continue giving away more taxpayer money for unnecessary subsidies to benefit profitable energy interests. It is time to prohibit further royalty relief and save our citizens hard earned tax dollars for more worthy uses.
Senator Wyden went to the floor at 10:51 am (Eastern time) this morning to call for a guaranteed vote on this amendment. The majority has objected to a vote and he will remain on the floor until he gets it. He is refusing to leave the floor because if he does, he loses the right to take the floor on his amendment again, and more importantly would then leave without any guarantee that his amendment would be voted upon. He is remaining on the floor until he gets an agreement for a vote on his amendment.
Feel free to live-blog your own comments as it happens. Discuss...
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April 27, 2006 |
in the news 2006 | Comments (30 so far)
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Comments
Posted by: torridjoe | Apr 27, 2006 11:02:48 AM
"When I think of Senator Domenici, I always think of fairness. Always!"
Poor Ron. He's already beginning to hallucinate. :)
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Apr 27, 2006 11:14:00 AM
There's additional commentary over at Loaded Orygun and DailyKos.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Apr 27, 2006 11:20:17 AM
FYI, the filibuster started at 7:51 a.m. PST.
"I'm not interested in sweetening these sugar-laden incentives -- and do it behind closed doors!" "I'm not going sit by while taxpayers get fleeced again!"
Posted by: Senate Maj Proj | Apr 27, 2006 11:25:13 AM
Folks, it is important other senators start supporting Wyden. If you live in a blue state put in a call to your Senator's DC office. Those of you in Oregon, call Gordon Smith's office and tell him its time to stick his neck out for Wyden and consumers.
Posted by: Charlie Burr | Apr 27, 2006 11:27:18 AM
Go Senator Wyden! The voters -- and drivers -- of Oregon appreciate your efforts.
Posted by: Charlie Burr | Apr 27, 2006 11:29:06 AM
The phone #s for Smith's D.C. and State Offices:
Washington, DC Office
404 Russell Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202.224.3753
Fax: 202.228.3997
Portland, OR Office
One World Trade Center
121 SW Salmon Street, Suite 1250
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503.326.3386
Fax: 503.326.2900
Pendleton, OR Office
Jager Building
116 South Main Street, Suite 3
Pendleton, OR 97801
Phone: 541.278.1129
Fax: 541.278.4109
Medford, OR Office
Security Plaza
1175 East Main, Suite 2D
Medford, OR 97504
Phone: 541.608.9102
Fax: 541.608.9104
Eugene, OR Office
Federal Building
211 East 7th Avenue, Room 202
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: 541.465.6750
Fax: 541.465.6808
Bend, OR Office
Jamison Building
131 NW Hawthorne Avenue, Suite 208
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 541.318.1298
Fax: 541.318.1396
Posted by: Chris McMullen | Apr 27, 2006 11:32:19 AM
I though greenies and Democrats in general wanted higher gas prices? Then everyone will drive less and be forced into mass transit. That sure was the case during the Clinton administration.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Apr 27, 2006 11:38:35 AM
Looks like there was a deal offered -- a guarantee of a vote, and he would stop -- and it looks like the deal failed: Thad Cochran objected to the guaranteed up-or-down vote.
Wyden: "What we saw, folks, in the last few moments was the ballgame. You can't get an up or down vote in the US Senate on this rip-off."
Posted by: Charlie Burr | Apr 27, 2006 11:46:42 AM
McChris: We want good jobs and clean energy. You guys want tax breaks for oil companies and polluters. We want open, accountable government -- not the GOP culture of corruption that lets energy executives write their own legislation behind closed doors. It's clear who's looking out for consumers here -- and who's going to pay a political price in November.
Posted by: torridjoe | Apr 27, 2006 11:55:13 AM
First Reid and now Durbin are lobbing softballs to Wyden. Good show.
Posted by: Chris McMullen | Apr 27, 2006 12:00:18 PM
CB:
So are you saying it would be okay if we were paying $3.00 for gas if $1.50 of it went to taxes?
However, I would like a straight answer as to why Dems are upset by high gas prices when they've openly admitted to desiring that exact same thing in the past.
(BTW, I'm a registered Independent. I want clean energy and good jobs, too. I definitely don't think oil companies, or any industry for that matter, should receive subsidies. Republicans have shot themselves in the foot and should suffer the consequences come November).
Posted by: carla | Apr 27, 2006 12:05:11 PM
However, I would like a straight answer as to why Dems are upset by high gas prices when they've openly admitted to desiring that exact same thing in the past.
Which Democrat specifically has articulated that they'd like to be fleeced with price gouging by oil companies?
Posted by: torridjoe | Apr 27, 2006 12:09:14 PM
It's not about prices right now. It's about giving oil companies a break on taxpayer-owned land, when their profits are at record levels? And it's about why the Senate isn't willing to vote on that amendment...
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Apr 27, 2006 12:11:55 PM
Domenici: "I was under the impression that the Senator was going to withdraw his amendment."
Wyden: "I'm certainly not going to withdraw my amendment."
Posted by: torridjoe | Apr 27, 2006 12:18:18 PM
Domenici is starting to go a little apeshit. "It's meaningless! It will save the taxpayers ZERO DOLLARS!" And he's waving a piece of paper wildly. He almost hit a staffer in the face with it a moment ago. The guy flinched a little bit, then grasped the handle of his briefbox a little harder and went stonyfaced once more.
Wyden's smart response: if this amendment is such a pointless loser, why are certain Senators fighting so hard not to have to vote no on it?
Posted by: torridjoe | Apr 27, 2006 12:22:20 PM
Reid is pulling the rug out on Wyden. He's telling him to give up.
Posted by: Senate Maj Proj | Apr 27, 2006 12:25:02 PM
Reid conceeding defeat for Wyden. GOP just killed the Wyden amendment out of the public's view. Take note, if you thought this Government operated in public, think again and remember what happend to Sen Wyden today.
Posted by: Winston Wolfe | Apr 27, 2006 12:25:47 PM
So has Wyden been smoking the liberal hippy lettuce or did he just discover that democrats run this state?
If anyone from his office can let us know that would be great.
"You have a corpse in a car, minus a head, in the garage. Take me to it."
Posted by: Jeff Alworth | Apr 27, 2006 12:28:25 PM
Looks like it's over.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Apr 27, 2006 12:28:30 PM
And it's over.
Posted by: Anh | Apr 27, 2006 12:28:37 PM
This has been great. I called up Warner's office (Allen is just a lost cause) and it was busy. Wyden just yielded for a quorum call.
Posted by: Charlie Burr | Apr 27, 2006 12:52:39 PM
Senator Wyden is really on a roll. I've thought for a long time he's the most underrated official in the state by progressives, and today really confirms my feelings. He's had a pretty remarkable 12 months.
Chris--
I didn't advocate for a $1.50 taxes on gasoline anywhere in this post:
McChris: We want good jobs and clean energy. You guys want tax breaks for oil companies and polluters. We want open, accountable government -- not the GOP culture of corruption that lets energy executives write their own legislation behind closed doors. It's clear who's looking out for consumers here -- and who's going to pay a political price in November.
We should do more to encourage energy consumption but there are other strategies to accomplish this besides a one-size-fits-all tax on gasoline. It's also a strawman argument that was used by Bush against Kerry in the summer of 04. I believe BC04 went back to the mid 70s to source Kerry's "support" of higher gas taxes if I remember correctly -- a position which of course Kerry did not hold.
Posted by: Jon W | Apr 27, 2006 1:55:35 PM
I know I'm late on this, but Chris' gas price posts illustrate how polarization is preventing us from even having the right conversations. The talk radio sound bite that all dems want high gas prices is just silly.
What we are saying is that if the price of gas reflected the actual costs of getting it - troops in the Persian Gulf, environmental damage that our kids will have to pay for, nice kickbacks to already rich oil companies - then everyone would be more motivated to find alternatives.
Chris, this stuff is too important to waste with rhetoric about how all democrats are long haired hippies who hate money.
At the same time, we liberals should probably dispense with our long-cherished belief that all Republicans light their cigars from the smoldering corpses of spotted owls.
Posted by: Jeff Alworth | Apr 27, 2006 2:32:37 PM
I've thought for a long time he's the most underrated official in the state by progressives, and today really confirms my feelings. He's had a pretty remarkable 12 months.
Charlie, I think that's because he has previously spent his time working with Gordon Smith to bring back good things for Oregon, which didn't exactly burnish his progressive cred. Since the Bush presidency has metastacized, he's stepped away from Oregon and emerged, along with Russ Feingold, as one of the Senate's main national leaders. Very cool.
Posted by: Bill Holmer | Apr 27, 2006 3:32:13 PM
The current price level is what it needs to be to make sure there aren't any shortages. The Republicans are right in saying that removing the royalty relief won't lower gas prices.
Having said that, Wyden is right that the oil companies don't need the subsidy and removing it will certainly help the deficit. Too bad he lost this round. It's an idea whose time has come.
Posted by: mrgov82 | Apr 27, 2006 10:42:01 PM
I just want to add my voice and congratulate Senator Wyden for standing up and filibustering in the Senate. Wyden has always stood up for issues affecting Oregonians and understands the power of the filibuster in raising awareness about the issues. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Pavel Goberman | Apr 28, 2006 12:26:47 AM
US Senator Wyden, carrier politician, many years are sucking taxpayers "blood". He knows how to talk, to talk about what the PEOPLE want to hear and most seniors are trusted this parasite of our society.
But take it a real: he many times is talking about high fuel prices, but nothing changed.
Visit the Federal Election Commission website: www.fec.gov and you will see from whom and how much this Political Prostitute received "contributions, donations" and selling our country.
It is very simple: we MUST stop our dependency on foreign oil, we MUST stop funding our enemies and develop vehicles powered by
electricity, or our nations someday could be cripled.
Pavel Goberman - Candidate for US Repres. (against D. Wu)
Note: The presence of any individual above does not imply an endorsement by BlueOregon. The selection of faces shown is done by Facebook. Visit BlueOregon on Facebook.
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Posted by: East Coast Crazy | Apr 27, 2006 10:53:36 AM
I love Oregon. I hate republicans. they are terrfied of something this logical.